Coating device



J 1945- R. c. ADAMS 2,378,900

COATING DEVICE FiledFeb. 2, 1942 INV ENT OR. IPICHHED C. flan/-45 Patented June 26, 1945 2,378,900 COATING DEVICE Richard 0. Adams, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, as-

slgnor to The Sherwin-Williams Company,

Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 2, 1942, Serial No. 429,139

1 Claim. (01. 15-244) This invention relates to a coating device or applicator of the roller typ for applying paint or other coating materials to various surfaces, and aims to provide an improved and simplified construction for a device of this kind.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved paint or coating applicator of the roller type in which a sponge rubber sleeve is used as an absorbent covering for the roller, and in which the mounting of the roller and the arrangement of the handle afford an economical construction and a comfortable balance when the device is held in the hand of the operator.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel absorbent covering for a paint or coating applicator of the roller type.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly set out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a roller-type applicator or coating device constructed according to my invention, the device being shown with portions thereof broken away;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the device;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the absorbent covering;

Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal sectional view taken through the covering as indicated by line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view showing a portion of the roller and further illustrating the roller-mounting and retaining means; and

Fig. 6 is an end view of the roller.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, my coating device or applicator may comprise a support or bracket in having a handle portion or grip II for manipulating the device and carrying a roller I! which is provided with an absorbent covering ii. The bracket Iii may comprise a rod, of metal or other suitable material, bent or otherwise formed to the desired shape and having a portion Ilia at one end thereof on which the grip II is mounted. and a shaft portion lob at the other end extending in a direction substantially normal to the axis of the handle portion or grip and on which the roller I2 is rotatably mounted. The grip ll may be made of wood, plastic or the like and the bracket portion we may have a knurled or roughened section Ila extending into, and retained in, the grip II.

The roller i2 is preferably formed of a nonmetallic substance and may be made of wood or be of any desired length and has a central bore Ha through which the shaft portion lb of the bracket extends. As shown in Fig. l, the shaft portion lob extends into the roller l2 at one end only thereof and the free end of the shaft portion projects into a counterbore l2b of the corresponding end of the roller. The roller may be retained on the shaft portion ID?) by means of a locking member H which may be in the form of a dished spring washer having opposed partially sheared fingers Ma which grip the shaft portion llib when the locking member is forced thereon. By having the bracket i0 extend into the roller I2 from one end only it will be seen that the other end of the roller will be left free and this will enlarge the range of use of the device and permit it to be used in otherwise inaccessible places.

The absorbent covering l3 comprises a sleeve of resilient sponge rubber which surrounds the roller i2 and may be of substantially the same length as the roller. The sleeve i3 is of a size or diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the roller l2 so that when the sleeve is applied to the roller, it must be stretched somewhat and will grip the roller sufficiently to be retained thereon.

The sponge rubber forming the sleeve l3 contains numerous cells which render the covering absorbent so that it will tak up a quantity of paint or other liquid coating material and will deposit a him of such material on the surface to be coated when the device is moved so as to cause the roller to roll over such surface. I find that frothing of the coating material can be substan tially prevented if the sleeve I3 is formed from a type or sponge rubber in which the cells are interconnected with each other for substantially the full thickness of the sleeve. When sponge rubber or this kind is employed for the absorbent covering, I find that the covering will take up a larger quantity of the coating material than if the cells were isolated or unconnected and hence the roller will need to be dipped in the supply of coating material less frequently.

I have also found that more satisfactory results are obtained when the sponge rubber sleeve I3 is formed with a rind lite on its inner surface. This rind on the inner surface of the sleeve enables the same to be more easily applied to and removed from the roller l2 and also causes the sleeve to adhere more closely and evenly to the rubber. The rind l3a also serves the very useful purpose of preventing the coating material from any other appropriate material. This roller may 68 passing through the absorbent sleeve and flowing in forming the absorbent sponge rubber covering or sleeve i3, I prefer to use synthetic rubber because it is much less subject to deterioration as the result of the action thereon of different coating materials with which the device may be used.

Moreover, I find that a sponge rubber covering or sleeve formed from synthetic rubber can be cleaned more easily and more satisfactorily at the end of the painting or coating operation.

In order that my coating device may have a comfortable balance when it is supported by grasping the grip II, I form the bracket l0 so that the portion Illa thereof and the grip II will be relatively remote from the free end of the rollerand relatively nearer the end of the roller into which the shaft portion Mb extends. In other words, the bracket portion Ilia and the grip II are offset from the transverse mid-plane li of the roller and lie in or near a transverse plane it which passes substantially through the center of gravity of the device.

In using my improved applicator or coating device, the covered roller i2 is dipped into the paint or other coating material and is then rolled over the surface to which the coating material is to be applied. The absorbent covering or sleeve l3 carries a temporary supply of the coating material and applies it as a film to the surface over which the roller passes. After the painting operation has been completed, the absorbent covering or sleeve can be cleaned by a suitable washing operation to remove the paint or other coating material therefrom. when the covering or sleeve I3 becomes worn it can be readily removed from the roller i2 and a new sleeve substituted therefor.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a roller-type applicator for paint or other coating materials which is of extremely simple form and which can be economically manufactured. It willalso be seen that I have provided a novel form of absorbent covering or sleeve for a device of this type and have provided a construction in which a comfortable balance is obtained for the device when held in the hand of the user.

While I have illustrated and described my improved roller device or applicator in a somewhat detailed manner, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited to the features and details herein disclosed, but regard my invention as including such changes and modiflcae tions as do not constitute a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A portable paint applying device adapted for manual manipulation, comprising a bracket having thereon a. handle and a shaft .portion, an elongated cylindrical roller rotatable on said shaft portion, and an absorbent covering surrounding the roller and comprising an elongated sponge rubber sleeve having open cells on its outer surface and a'substantially impervious continuous rind on its inner surface, said sleeve being resillent and of a size to grip the roller.

RICHARD C. ADAMS. 

